(O.G. took a run at learning International Morse about 35 years ago, but never completed the process: Like the Pogo character “I can write but can’t read,” having about 90% of the character-to sound table still in memory, but no facility with the reverse.

Later I got involved with “professional” radio (hey, it’s “professional” if you get paid, right?), where my only encounter with Morse was hearing the “ • – – • – – • • • – ” top-of-the-hour ID from the National Bureau of Standards station WWV when we synced the studio clocks.)

“It was seven years ago today[1] Mark ’n’ Dolly taught the band to playThey post every time they’ve got a chance. And-tho they’ve never had an Instalanche[2]If Liberty’s[3] what you’re about Then you really ought-a check ’em out:

1
I can understand your anxiety. My wife and I have had several pairs of cats over the years. We seem to inherit elderly cats who need a home. It's an unfortunate trend that when a pair has been together for a number of years, they grieve as much as we and that produces health problems all their own.

The purpose for Founding Bloggers’ posting of the CNN footage is crystal clear: to comment on and criticize CNN's reporting on the “Tea Party.” Such a use is right in the heartland of the fair use doctrine; the statute specifically mentions “criticism, comment, [and] news reporting” as protected uses that are “not an infringement of copyright.” 17 U.S.C. § 107. To quickly run through the four fair use factors as they apply here:

the use is transformative (for critical comment);

the CNN footage is factual, not fictional, and was previously broadcast;

the amount used is small in relation to the whole CNN broadcast; and

any effect on the market is minuscule (and if fewer people watch CNN because this video causes them to think less of its coverage, that's simply not cognizable harm).

Many fair use cases are difficult, close calls--but, given the facts as I know them, this is an easy one.